When Russian President Vladimir Putin was growing up in Leningrad, he and his friends would chase rats through the corridors with sticks. One day, a huge rat he’d cornered suddenly turned on the young Vladimir and chased him back to his quarters. “I got a quick and lasting lesson in the meaning of the word cornered,” Putin recalled in a 2000 interview.
Early Life and Career
Putin was born in 1952, seven years after the end of World War II, in which millions of Russians died. His father, a soldier, was crippled by shrapnel from a grenade blast, while his mother was reportedly distant. Putin’s aptitude for survival likely stemmed from this tough upbringing. He was remembered by childhood friends as “small, thin and rather weak” and aloof, but not afraid to fight if anyone picked on him.
The KGB Years
Putin joined the KGB in 1975 after graduating in law from Leningrad State University. His psychological profile described him as emotionally detached, having a “diminished sense of danger” and being prone to taking risks. As a fluent German speaker, Putin was dispatched to Dresden in East Germany in 1985, where he witnessed the crumbling of communism in 1989.
Rise to Power
Putin returned to Russia in 1990 and found a job as an international liaison to the mayor’s office under his former law professor Anatoly Sobchak. He networked his way into then-President Boris Yeltsin’s circle of advisers and confidants, becoming head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in 1998. After Yeltsin’s resignation on December 31, 1999, Putin became acting president and later won the presidential election in a landslide.
Putin’s Leadership Style
According to Gennady Gudkov, an exiled opposition politician who met Putin in 2001, Putin “speaks very freely, very convincingly… You have the impression that he is absolutely frank and sincere with you.” However, Putin’s actions have shown a different side. He has ruthlessly suppressed opposition, imprisoned critics, and amassed vast power.
Quotes from Key Figures
- Gennady Gudkov: “He isn’t very strong, he isn’t very tall, and that’s why he decided to get into sports – judo, sambo [a Soviet combat sport] and so on.”
- Grigory Yavlinsky: “He needed them to obey him… He said that it didn’t suit him. He needed them to obey him.”
- Putin: “The powers of the head of state have been turned over to me today… I assure you that there will be no vacuum of power, not for a minute.”
International Relations and Legacy
Putin’s presidency has been marked by a series of bold moves, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His relationship with the West has been strained, with periods of cooperation giving way to increased tensions. With Donald Trump occupying the White House, there seems to be a possibility of rapprochement between Russia and the US.
Analysis of Putin’s Motivations
According to Yavlinsky, Putin is driven by a desire for recognition of Russia as a great country. Gudkov believes Putin’s main motivation is to hold power in any way possible, and he will do whatever it takes to maintain his grip on Russia. As Putin ages, his legacy and the future of Russia remain uncertain.